Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-14

some who can never DC kept inside the
walls with proper regard for their health.
Farms belonging to the state is the only
field for them, and therefore | recon-
mend the purchase OF additional lands 70
work them on.
We now have number of prisoners
well skilled IN cutting stone, and in view
OF the fact that additional penitentiEries
will have to be built, recommend the
purchase OF the water power at Marble
Falls and the granite quarrles in BIrne.
county, if they csn be had at reasonable
figures. Ample power can be had there
ior any amount OF machinery, aid the
granite industry will afford labor for d
large number Of people for an indefinite
period. The Burnet granite is in ali re-
spects the equal of the red Scotch granite
SO extensively imported into this coun-
try, and it is as inexhaustible as it is eX-
cellent, and the location being admirably
adapted TO the purpose mentioned | think
the legislature would subserve the best
interests OF the commonwealth in pur-
chasing the land as suggested.
II Is not clear that the money necessary
to place the conyicts within the walls can
or should be now raised by taxation.
Storms and drouths have so crippled our
people that they are scarcely in g position
to carry out this theory, and the money
necessary to effect the charge can not be
borrowed, without an amendment to the
constitution. 1t will take several millions
of dollars to make the walls and buy the
necessary stock and machinery to put the
prisoners to work.
So far as relates TO convicts thai prop
erly beloGg to the penitentiary, | doubt
the propriety of attempting general
system OF road making; too many prison
guards and camps would be required, es-
capes would be Numerous and general
cyniusion would arise; bu. recomm, nd
q change in the laws and reduction OF
the number of felony ofenses. Make the
minor penitentiary ofenses lnisdrmean-
ors, provide for each county working its
roads with the prisoners convicted under
this heading, but never allow the system
thus formulated to be branch of the
penitentiary management. BY thus re-
ducing felony offenses you will very SEN
sibly decrease the present army of con-
victs, and By employing county convicts
20 work your roads you will maze them
self-supporting and healthy, and al the
same time develop d system Of puoliC
highways which will so0n be q valuable
acquisition to the state.
GREER COUNTY.
Under the act Of the legislature passed
May 3, 1882, | appointed Messrs. j. T.
Bra ckenrldge, ". S. Herndoa, G. L
Freeman and W. II. Burgess as commits
si0nerS, to meet q Ike commission APP
pointed by the president OF the United
States, TO locate and II ark the boundary
between .@e IGdian Territory and tie
safe OF Texas. TIE Commission on the
peit OF the United States was composet.
OF Maj. S. NJ. Mansfield, Maj. ". R. Liy-
ermore, Lieut.. Thomas L. Casey and
Lieut.. Lansing II Beach.
The order detailing tEat commission
on the part of the federal government was
not satisfactory to me, and on the l4th of
December, 1885, addressed the secretary
Of war the following note:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE OF TEXAS.
AUsrIN, December IA, lSS5.
Hon. William c. Endtcott, Secretary of war.
WASN'T gton, ID. c.:
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge |
the receipt of your favor of the Sth in
slant, IN which you inform me that the
president is of opinion that the order de-
al1nS the commissioners in the Greer
county boundary question ls sufficiently
comprehensive. cannot agree with this
CT yoUr statement that the as
;ertainment OF the true Red river, ard
here marking the point where the
uOth meridian crosses 1t, Is the
Thole duty devolving upon the commits
lol. Certainly you are correct as far rs
'ou 90, but the scope Of the treaty be-
Ween the United States and Spain, Of
Sl9, and the acts OF congress and the
legislature of Texas, devolves another
luty vital to correct understanding of
he treaty. 1t was well known, DO doubt,
Q both contracting parties that Melish's
nap was not correct. He knew there vas
Red river Of Louisiana, and inst it had !
source, but where the source was, or
he tributaries or branches, il any, were
Wholly unknown 10 him EDd to the con-
racting parties. This is the conclusion
rawn from the language of the treaty.
If the two parties had intended that the =
oundary should be at the point where the i,
rue Tooth meridian crossed the !
ver, it would have been surplusage and !,
ute unnecessary to have added, af-
sr discussing the boundary, the words,
All according to Melish's map as i'm I
roved up to 1878" According to all
ell known rules of construction this last :
ause was Intended to govern and con-
'ol what had preceded. The ascertain
tent of the point where the true
Nth ,naridiop nroccad Dad ryyar WAC